This invention relates to an improved battery detection and alarm system, and more particularly to a removable battery system wherein upon failure of a battery, the failed battery must be replaced by a working battery before the audible alarm is silenced. The system may be used with any number of detection systems, some examples include smoke detectors, carbon monoxide alerting systems, and medical alerting systems. The following discussion, while relating specifically to smoke detectors, is not intended to limit the detection system.
The invention of the residential smoke detector has been proven a lifesaver countless times. However, experience with these devices has revealed a serious deficiency. Typical smoke detectors in the industry either have a single replaceable battery system or are powered by a power source contained in the residence or building where they are located.
The single replaceable battery system contains a single battery that upon failure emits a “chirping” sound to inform the user that the battery needs to be replaced. This design has the “human factor” problem in that the user must choose to replace the battery. However, the user may also choose to simply remove the battery to eliminate the “chirping” noise and, thus, the unit is rendered useless.
Another common design is a smoke detector that is powered by the buildings utility source. However, these units also suffer from a number of drawbacks. First, these systems also contain batteries that eventually fail and need to be replaced. Further, detectors powered from the building utility source may fail from utility interruption or wiring failure. Still further, systems that depend on remote power supplies or larger building wide control panels often contain complex backup power supervision systems to prevent loss of power supply. These types of systems are complex and very expensive.
Another design is the use of longer life batteries in the smoke detector. U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,434, August 1995, to Serby, discloses a smoke detector unit with a long life integral battery design with a claimed life up to 15 years. However, the device described by U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,434, to Serby, still contains a single battery that is not replaceable. Thus, if this battery fails, the device is no more usable than any other units with failed batteries.
Another design is the use of multiple power sources. However, the self-contained smoke detector used in residential applications must be simple, low cost, and easy to install and operate. No present art exits utilizing multiple power sources that is simple, low cost, and easy to install and operate. U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,436, to Sisselman, proposed adding a supplemental internal battery or capacitor to power the alarm function. However, this approach contains a number of deficiencies. First, the Sisselman design requires a non-replaceable battery that when fails or wears out renders the detector useless. Further, the Sisselman design requires recharging the non-replaceable battery from the replaceable battery, which diminishes the available power to the detector.
Thus, there remains a need for a detector alarm and a removable battery system that eliminates the “human factor” problem that is simple, low cost, and easy to install and operate. More specifically, there is a need in the smoke detector industry for a system that eliminates the “human factor” by providing an alarm system with a power source that is not silenced by simply removing a failed replaceable battery, only when the failed battery is replaced by a working battery.